San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

kirkboat wrote: Sun Oct 05, 2025 12:09 pmcorn starch.

Gotfish? wrote: Mon May 11, 2026 4:48 pm My new favorite toy is a thread burner. Works better than scissors for cutting braid and better than specialty glue for fixing soft plastics. No fraying on cut braid either. Works for cutting thread too.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093QQ3M5J?re ... asin_title Many other similar brands available.

Bendo wrote: Fri May 15, 2026 9:18 am I run two Checklists. One for making sure I have everything I need to go fishing, the other is for everything I need to launch the Boat,Kayak,Tube. Saved me many times.

VinnyBass wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 10:37 pm Of course all of us have lots and lots of tips but one of the tips that just comes to mind is something my father taught me years ago when I was young.
Before each fishing trip, he taught me to always cut about a foot or so off the line and retie whatever you had previously had tied on your line. He said that rocks and things on the bottom, especially when you worm fish, scratch and cut into the line so it is more likely to break when you set the hook or try to reel in a fish. I actually pull out a number of rods the night before I go fishing and always cut back and retie everything. It is just become a habit and especially on the rods I use more often. Even on my flippin' rods(but not as often as I should) I cut and retie because I use straight braid tied to a jig or Tokyo rig, for example and that line takes a beating throwing baits all the time in cover. I fish pretty often and I rather a fish break the line naturally rather than because I was too lazy to cut the line back a little and retie.

vito1023 wrote: Sat May 16, 2026 7:40 am

VinnyBass wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 10:37 pm Of course all of us have lots and lots of tips but one of the tips that just comes to mind is something my father taught me years ago when I was young.
Before each fishing trip, he taught me to always cut about a foot or so off the line and retie whatever you had previously had tied on your line. He said that rocks and things on the bottom, especially when you worm fish, scratch and cut into the line so it is more likely to break when you set the hook or try to reel in a fish. I actually pull out a number of rods the night before I go fishing and always cut back and retie everything. It is just become a habit and especially on the rods I use more often. Even on my flippin' rods(but not as often as I should) I cut and retie because I use straight braid tied to a jig or Tokyo rig, for example and that line takes a beating throwing baits all the time in cover. I fish pretty often and I rather a fish break the line naturally rather than because I was too lazy to cut the line back a little and retie.

Do you use braid all the time or just when flipping or do you use a leader with flouro or mono?

Bendo wrote: Fri May 15, 2026 9:18 am I run two Checklists. One for making sure I have everything I need to go fishing, the other is for everything I need to launch the Boat,Kayak,Tube. Saved me many times.

VinnyBass wrote: Sat May 16, 2026 8:10 am

vito1023 wrote: Sat May 16, 2026 7:40 am

VinnyBass wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 10:37 pm Of course all of us have lots and lots of tips but one of the tips that just comes to mind is something my father taught me years ago when I was young.
Before each fishing trip, he taught me to always cut about a foot or so off the line and retie whatever you had previously had tied on your line. He said that rocks and things on the bottom, especially when you worm fish, scratch and cut into the line so it is more likely to break when you set the hook or try to reel in a fish. I actually pull out a number of rods the night before I go fishing and always cut back and retie everything. It is just become a habit and especially on the rods I use more often. Even on my flippin' rods(but not as often as I should) I cut and retie because I use straight braid tied to a jig or Tokyo rig, for example and that line takes a beating throwing baits all the time in cover. I fish pretty often and I rather a fish break the line naturally rather than because I was too lazy to cut the line back a little and retie.

Do you use braid all the time or just when flipping or do you use a leader with flouro or mono?

I found that it’s a lot better for me to use just straight braid. I mean if you’re using 30 pound braid and you’re using a 10 pound leader and the leader snaps, you lose a fish that you probably would’ve caught if you didn’t have a leader.

vito1023 wrote: Sun May 17, 2026 3:50 pm

VinnyBass wrote: Sat May 16, 2026 8:10 am

vito1023 wrote: Sat May 16, 2026 7:40 am

VinnyBass wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 10:37 pm Of course all of us have lots and lots of tips but one of the tips that just comes to mind is something my father taught me years ago when I was young.
Before each fishing trip, he taught me to always cut about a foot or so off the line and retie whatever you had previously had tied on your line. He said that rocks and things on the bottom, especially when you worm fish, scratch and cut into the line so it is more likely to break when you set the hook or try to reel in a fish. I actually pull out a number of rods the night before I go fishing and always cut back and retie everything. It is just become a habit and especially on the rods I use more often. Even on my flippin' rods(but not as often as I should) I cut and retie because I use straight braid tied to a jig or Tokyo rig, for example and that line takes a beating throwing baits all the time in cover. I fish pretty often and I rather a fish break the line naturally rather than because I was too lazy to cut the line back a little and retie.

Do you use braid all the time or just when flipping or do you use a leader with flouro or mono?

I found that it’s a lot better for me to use just straight braid. I mean if you’re using 30 pound braid and you’re using a 10 pound leader and the leader snaps, you lose a fish that you probably would’ve caught if you didn’t have a leader.

So do you use straight braid for say worm, jerk and spinner fishing, I’ve been using straight braid and been experimenting for a while and I have caught some spotties and largemouths but I keep wondering if I would be catching more using a leader?

VinnyBass wrote: Sun May 17, 2026 3:59 pm

vito1023 wrote: Sun May 17, 2026 3:50 pm

VinnyBass wrote: Sat May 16, 2026 8:10 am

vito1023 wrote: Sat May 16, 2026 7:40 am

Do you use braid all the time or just when flipping or do you use a leader with flouro or mono?

I found that it’s a lot better for me to use just straight braid. I mean if you’re using 30 pound braid and you’re using a 10 pound leader and the leader snaps, you lose a fish that you probably would’ve caught if you didn’t have a leader.

So do you use straight braid for say worm, jerk and spinner fishing, I’ve been using straight braid and been experimenting for a while and I have caught some spotties and largemouths but I keep wondering if I would be catching more using a leader?

Let me clarify this once more. When I am flipping, I use straight braid. That means if I’m flipping a plastic worm or a plastic creature bait or a plastic crawfish bait. And yes, at times I might use braid to throw a spinner bait or a crank bait. So in other words, I use straight braid in conditions where there’s a lot of structure or stickups or things were normal line might break. If you’re gonna be fishing in cleaner waters like Lake Jennings, Miramar, Poway for example, I would not probably be using straight braid. But I have plenty of other fishing rods to take when I go to those lakes that have mono or fluorocarbon on them. So yes, a lot of people just put a mono leader on the braid, but I don’t do it because I have other rods I could just use. So if you’re fishing and conditions where the water is pretty clear, a leader with fluocarbon or mono
may work better for you. I decide what rods are equipped with what line to take based on what Lake or where I’m gonna be fishing.